CARLISLE, Pa. – The first-ever Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit was held in Carlisle, Pa. on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, where millions of dollars in investments were announced for local businesses.
Organized by U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, the summit brought together the nation’s top defense, technology, and finance leaders and was held at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
According to a news release from the senator, the two-day Summit advanced President Trump’s vision of Peace through Strength and catalyzed nearly $10 billion of investment supporting 4,000+ jobs across the Commonwealth.
At the summit, over 30 individual announcements were made advancing American shipbuilding, munitions, space industry, innovation, and emerging technologies such as AI and robotics, according to McCormick.
The event lasted for two days and brought in over 1,300 guests. This number includes 600-plus C-level executives, representatives from 500-plus organizations, and more than 130 exhibitor booths.
Individuals participated in over 1,500 meetings connecting investors, suppliers, workforce leaders, university researchers, warfighters, and Department of War officials, according to the senator.
“Pennsylvania has powered American defense since the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps were founded in Philadelphia in 1775. That legacy carried us through the Arsenal of Democracy in World War II, and it’s carrying us today through advanced manufacturing, robotics, AI, and space,” said Senator McCormick.
According to the news release, the list of announcements falls into three categories: 1) Defense Industrial Base, 2) Emerging Technology, and 3) R&D and Workforce. Below highlights local areas featured in the announcements, organized by category.
Under the Strengthening the Defense Industrial Base category
Mack Defense (Allentown) — An additional Army order for 115 Heavy Dump Trucks for the Army National Guard, bringing 2026 orders to 208 trucks worth more than $84 million under a five-year contract worth up to $221.8 million.
Karman Space & Defense (Horsham, Montgomery County) — A $2.7 million expansion to test and qualify advanced material technologies for the Navy surface fleet, creating about 20 new jobs and retaining 40.
Advanced Cooling Technologies (Lancaster) — A new 50,000-square-foot cold plate facility and expanded heat pipe production for satellites, defense systems, and AI data centers, with plans to hire up to 100 employees.
Under the Fielding Emerging Technology — AI, Autonomy & Space
Deepwave Digital (Berks County) — Deploying RF AI systems, now in low-rate initial production flight tests with the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, to protect American aircraft and crews ($30–70 million).
The Pa. Defense and Innovation Summit builds on last year’s Pa. Energy and Innovation Summit, held in Pittsburgh, which catalyzed more than $92 billion in announced investment, the largest single-day private investment commitment in the Commonwealth’s history, according to McCormick.
According to the senator, a year after the Pa. Energy and Innovation Summit, nearly every investment announced is actively moving forward or expanding, underscoring Pennsylvania’s growing leadership in energy, AI, manufacturing, and national security.